WALLONIA Regional Transport (SWRT) has invited tenders for a PPP contract to finance, design, build, and maintain the first modern light rail line in the city of Liège.
NIGERIA's council of ministers has approved the decision to award China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) a $US 1.49bn contract for the modernisation of the 130km line from Lagos to Ibadan.
CHINA's National Development and Reform Commission has approved a public-private partnership deal for Line 1 of the Hangzhou metro.
THE DUTCH government has announced plans to extend the concessioning of regional rail services following the completion of a research project by two consultants.
ITALY's rail regulator (URSF) has ruled in favour of Italian Rail Network (RFI) in a dispute with open-access high-speed operator NTV over the recent erection of a fence at Rome Ostiense which prevents NTV passengers walking directly from NTV's lounge to their train on the adjacent platform 15.
THE SPANISH government is expected to vote at the end of this month on draft legislation that could bring sweeping liberalisation of the rail market within a year together with the privatisation of Renfe.
PASSAZHIRSKIE Perevozki, the passenger operations subsidiary of Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ), has awarded a €989.4m contract to Talgo, Spain, to maintain 1044 passenger coaches for 15 years.
JAPAN's minister of transport Mr Yuichiro Hata has approved the construction of three extensions to the Shinkansen high-speed network. The project will cost an estimated Yen 3.04 trillion ($US 38.1bn) and will be mainly funded by national and municipal governments.
MANCHESTER is set to complete the renewal of its tram fleet by 2014 after Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) approved the acquisition of a further 20 M5000 vehicles from Bombardier and Vossloh Kiepe.
ANSALDO STS has signed a strategic agreement with CNR Dalian, China to license its TramWave catenary-free light rail electrification system to a joint venture of CNR Dalian and General Resources Company, allowing the technology to be sold in China.
